


Get Over It.

by RageHappyThunder



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:38:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RageHappyThunder/pseuds/RageHappyThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joel has the biggest crush on Ray but is so uncomfortable about how much of a creep feels like being 18 years older than ray,and so to hide his feels and not creep out Ray Joel avoids him like the plague until Michael or Geoff corners him because his avoidance is making ray feel unwelcome and withdrawing from everyone and they make joel man up and stop feeling bad over it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Get Over It.

Joel has felt this feeling before, the feeling that resonates at the bottom of your stomach, the getting nervous about not giving someone else a good impression, the licking and biting of your lips subconsciously as you shake their hand and say hello for the first time. The stomach jolting in excitement as they say their name and your mind echos it and saves it for a later date.  And then there’s a new feeling, the creepy backlash when Joel realizes that there’s an 18 year age difference and that this would never work.

So Joel does what Joel does best, he cuts contact off with people he deems ‘cancerous’ even though he’s pretty sure Ray’s the sweetest person he’s ever met and wouldn’t mind getting a sugar high from him.

No bad Joel.

So he pushes his ‘crush’ to the back of him mind and tries to be professional. When they did a minecraft let’s play with them, he hides from the world, even though he wants nothing more than to slay Gavin and make Ray happy, to give him the achievement he needs. But he doesn’t, and when that’s over, he runs from the office before Ray can even open his mouth.

When Joel edited that video and Ray was the only one in the office, he forgets about pushing his crush to the back of his mind and tries his hardest to make Ray laugh, and when he does Joel thinks that his laugh is something he wouldn’t mind hearing on repeat. That was cheesy, but it’s true. He’d love to take him out to dinner.

But he doesn’t. He takes the recording and goes to edit it with the video he made, he gave Ray a curt thank you and left out the door.

Ray tries his hardest to spark up a conversation with Joel, ask him about work, the weather, small talk, hell Joel finds a way to leave him before even answering a simple yes or no question. So Ray wonders if he did something to piss him off, so he asks Jack about it.

“Don’t worry, he’s just an awkward old coot.” Jack waves it off like it’s nothing, but now Ray feels worse for some reason. Probably because Joel’s avoiding him like he has some infectious disease, he’ll give a side glance to Ray and head off the other direction, cutting whatever conversation he’s having at the time short just to get away from Ray.

“Jesus Christ, this is ridiculous.”  
“What’s ridiculous?” Geoff reached a hand and put it on Ray’s shoulder, the younger man jumped, and muttered a ‘holy fuck’ in response to the action.  
“Oh ah, it’s nothing don’t worry about it.” So Ray made his way back to his desk and Geoff continued on his conquest to the kitchen, he was on the prowl for booze and refused to return to his desk without a glass of whiskey.

Ray was really quiet during the let’s play.

Joel had his back to the kitchen entrance, he was fumbling with the kitchen sink and his hands were dirty from dropping something; Ray walked into the kitchen and took something from the fridge, Joel fumbled when he realized someone was in there with him, and he panicked when he saw it was Ray.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to try and talk to you.” Ray spoke with a sigh, he tried to sound pissed but he just ended up sounding tried. Joel wondered if he was too harsh on the kid.

So he tries to suck it up, they had a horse tournament coming up, and Ray tried his hardest not to laugh at Joel but eventually he just broke, (Joel mentally beat himself up for the only joke he had to say and repeat for the whole video was about ‘discharging’); and he didn’t leave the office right away, but realized he probably dug his grave to deep he left before he could make a fool of himself, and Ray mentally cursed himself out, wondering what he did to offend or piss off Joel.

So Ray re-asked Jack if Joel said anything to him about him, and Jack just said the same thing as last time basically.

Ray was quietly contemplating things during the let’s play again. Digging through his mind for something stupid he did, and he came to the conclusion that Joel must just not like him.

Maybe no one else likes you either? Maybe it’s just a ruse. Maybe you’re getting fired and joel doesn’t want to get attached to you.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?’ Geoff said as he took a sip of his whiskey, he placed a hand on Ray’s shoulder, Ray took a quick glance around, it was only him and Geoff in the office.

Hm, Weird.

“Nothing-” Geoff cocked up an eyebrow.

“Look, we can do this the hard way or the easy way, tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s so fucking stupid. But like, Joel doesn’t like me and he avoids me like I’m fucking diseased.”  
“Well, he’s a busy guy-”  
“I know that, but he purposely avoids talking to me and I have no idea what I did.”

Geoff made a ‘hm’ noise and took another sip of his whiskey.

~~~

“When are you gonna start acting like an adult?”  
“Says the guy who plays video games for a living.”  
“At least I don’t avoid people when something’s the matter. I don’t mind confrontation.”  Geoff walked over the Joel, who slumped in his chair and stopped typing on his computer.

“What?”

“Why are you avoiding Ray, like I get if you don’t like him or something but can you be a little more subtle about it? Grade A way to treat the new guy by the way.” Geoff’s voice was sour with a hint of bitterness, but Joel figured that must be the alcohol.

“I’m not drunk enough for this.”  
“Well I am. So talk.”  
Joel opened his mouth and closed it a few times.

“Close the door.” He said finally with a sigh, Geoff made a face but didn’t say anything as he walked over and closed Joel’s office door. “I might. Maybe. Okay don’t freak out. Or think i’m a creep. But I think. I might. I maybe.”  
“Oh my god.” Geoff groaned.

“IthinkIlikeRay.” Joel said quickly, “Like, he’s attractive. And I don’t want to do the-”  
“You have a crush on Ray.” Geoff said plainly, Joel nodded, “Then fucking man up and do something about it. Jesus Christ.”  
“The age difference-”  
“You think Ray will give a fuck? Just fucking try, I’m sick of him moping around the office.”  
“He’s moping?  
“Yes, you asshole, you made him sad now make him happy.” Geoff opened the door and slunk out, leaving Joel in his office alone. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly and he sighed.

“Hey Ray,” Joel said as he rushed out his office to catch the other man as he made his way for the door. Ray stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Yeah?” he breathed out, it was a half sigh, half silent plea that Joel wasn’t going to yell at him.

“I’m sorry for being a dick.” Ray’s head snapped up, “And I wanna take you out to dinner as a ‘sorry I’m a dick’ thing, and yeah.” Smooth Joel. Smooth.

Ray paused for a moment, “This isn’t a joke right?”  
“What, no no, I was just intimidated by you, you know, new person, and I’m old and just yeah. Intimidation.” More like infatuation.

Ray paused, hesitated, and hesitantly muttered a ‘sure.’ Joel smiled a goofy smile, now all that was left is reversing all the damage Joel did, but it seemed to be easy, with the way Ray seemed to melt every time Joel cracked a joke.

(Joel melted a little too, Ray’s laugh was warm like hot chocolate and Joel wondered if his mouth tasted like hot chocolate too.)

  
((The answer is no, but it tasted even better because it tasted like Ray.))


End file.
